China has announced sanctions against 13 American defense firms and six executives, citing their involvement in arms sales to Taiwan, a region Beijing considers a “breakaway province.”
“Taiwan independence and peace in the Taiwan Straits are fundamentally incompatible,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said during a press briefing. “The US insistence on using force to support Taiwan independence cannot deter China’s resolve to achieve reunification.”
The targeted firms include prominent names such as Teledyne Brown Engineering, BRINC Drones, and Shield AI. Executives like Barbara Borgonovi and Charles Woodburn are also affected. Their assets in China have been frozen, and they are barred from entering Chinese territories, including Hong Kong and Macau.
This move comes as Taiwan’s leader William Ching-te Lai undertakes a diplomatic tour of the Pacific, including stops in US territories like Guam and Hawaii, where he met with officials such as Governor Lourdes Leon Guerrero.
The outgoing Biden administration has approved 17 arms deals with Taiwan since 2021, actions Beijing says undermine regional stability. China has called on Washington to adhere to the one-China principle and cease all military support for Taiwan.
“The US must honor its commitment not to support Taiwan independence,” Lin emphasized, warning that these actions could escalate tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan, self-governed since 1949, maintains diplomatic ties with 12 nations but faces mounting pressure from Beijing over its independence claims.
